The station was on the Great Central Main Line which ran between London Marylebone and Manchester via Sheffield Victoria.

Staveley Central closed on 4 March 1963, but continued to serve summer weekend excursion traffic until the end of the 1964 season.

The station was also the junction for branches to the Ireland, Hartington and Markham Collieries and at the south end was Staveley (G.C.)

This, too, was subject to confusion with the ex-MR "Staveley" engine shed over a mile away at Barrow Hill, which was coded 18D in BR days.

The location of Staveley Central station has been turned into a road to linking to the M1 motorway junction 29A.